A brief look at Black American history told through 10 food traditions

By Sheeka Sanahori | Stacker (Stacker) – Visit any region of the United States, and you’ll find Black American cuisine with historic and multinational roots. Some dishes are so indelible to American culture that the contributions of African American chefs in their creation have largely been forgotten. “We are a race that has never before existed: a cobbled-together admixture of Africa, Europe, and the Americas. We are like no others before us or after us,” Jessica B. Harris, historian and author of “High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America,” wrote. African American food is a rich culinary tradition fraught with questions of race and the complex legacy of slavery. Many dishes pay homage to the West and Central African roots of the people who created them; others speak to the social and political movements that unfolded while Black chefs and home cooks nourished and innovated with their food. Much of African American cuisine can trace its origins back to the U.S. South, as a majority of African-descended people begin their history in the United States during slavery. From there, one can see how Africans in America rely on the cooking traditions and ingredients from their homes...